costs, so unions themselves must pay for the cost of the ballot and any outcome must be immediately publicised. A potential, and dangerous pitfall, is that if a vote involves procedural defect, it is at risk of being invalidated. This is so if any member is denied the vote, though small accidental failures may be disregarded. A person must be specified in advance to announce the ballot results, and unions may not endorse any result of the vote until that has happened. The ballot only gives four weeks' to the union to take action, though this period may be extended with the employers' consent, which is common if collective negotiations are ongoing. If all else has failed, then for industrial action to commence the union must under section 234A(4) give at least seven days notice, accompanied with details of the workers to take part. Part VI, sections 247 to 272, contain administrative provisions relating to ACAS and the Central Arbitration Committee. Section 220 protects workers taking part in industrial action, including picketers who are acting in connection with an industrial dispute at or near their workplace who are using their picketing to peacefully obtain or communicate information or peacefully persuading any person to work or abstain from working. Part VII, Miscellaneous and general Part VII, sections 273 to 299 contains miscellaneous provisions and definitions. Some types of employment which are exempted from all or part of the Acts, including the Armed forces, Police, sailors, and those employed abroad. Section 295 contains the meaning of "employee" as a person with a "contract of service" and section 296 states a "worker" is someone with a contract to personally perform work who is not a professional client. Schedule A1 Schedule A1 sets out a complicated and detailed procedure for statutory recognition of a trade union by an employer. This was introduced by the Employment Relations Act 1999 section 1 and Schedule 1. The recognition procedure is triggered where unions represent over half of employees or particular groups of employees in a workplace. See also UK labour law Trade Union Freedom Bill Employee Free Choice Act, a proposed US bill Notes References Ewan McGaughey, A Casebook on Labour Law. London: Hart, 2019; chs. 8-10 External links Text of the Act United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1992 United Kingdom labour law British trade unions history Trade union legislation 1992 in labor relations